Innovation Blog

The Morgenstadt Werkstatt of the Fraunhofer IAO was again a very successful event for our city of tomorrow (as the name itself makes clear ;) ). During his walking tour, Minister Strobl showed great interest in the MHPParkingSpotter, our solution for detecting (free) parking spaces in the city, i.e. OnStreet Parking. Since the end of June, the device has been installed at the Marktplatz (market square) in Stuttgart and has been trained to detect vehicles. At present, the parking areas are occupied by the Christmas Market, so the ParkingSpotter won't be able to resume its work until January. Of particular relevance for Ludwigsburg's Mayor Werner Spec and also the Minister of the Interior: This solution, which in its current constellation has 9 parking spaces in view, should cost less than 200 EUR. It is installed on existing lamp-posts and, provided that the desired accuracy is achieved (my specification: 99.997%, i.e. four errors per year), will then be installed in Eberhardstrasse. It can then be indicated on a display directly at the entrance to the MIK (Museum im Kornhaus) whether it is worthwhile searching for a parking space, and - so I hope - the cars of drivers looking for somewhere to park can be reduced by 70-80%.

Our cooperation with Rinspeed has again borne new and very tasty fruit :)

The "microSNAP" will be presented at CES 2019 in Las Vegas and can already be admired in advance in the video.

Already in 2018, the SNAP, which offers practically endless opportunities for use, was presented. A mixture of mobility and property, driven by software intelligence from MHP and SAP. I had reported, see SNAP.

The SNAP has now been reduced to the size of a Renault Twizy, and has become the microSNAP.

Ludwigsburg now has a place where the future is being shaped. The new MHPLab was opened yesterday amid appropriate celebrations (with a bottle of sekt). Makerspace, Creative Space, Networking Space. The new lab provides an innovative platform for workshops and events.

Our new MHPStudy "Online Car Sales 2018" with the provocative title "From Sales to Expulsion? Opportunities and need for action for car sales on the Internet" is online.

Almost everyone orders shoes, books or electronic products online. Why not your next car too? This question was the foundation stone for the study on Online Car Sales 2018, which we organized together with the Central Association of German Motor-Vehicle trades (ZDK) and the Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Umwelt (HfWU) (university for business and environmental studies).

Simon and the MHPParkingSpotter. It is now installed and detects free parking spaces - the MHPParkingSpotter.

The idea came about last autumn when I was sitting in Cafe Bonne on Eberhardstr. in Ludwigsburg one Saturday. Over breakfast and countless cappuccinos I observed cars constantly driving into the small cul-de-sac with 8+1 parking spaces. The "+1" is a disabled parking space right at the end and so most cars reverse back out. ... and of course when someone reverses out, there must be a free parking space...

When I walk along the aisles at the Hanover Trade Fair Center, one thing stands out above all: There are so many technological opportunities with digitalization. This also seems to be the main theme here. At every stand and on everyone's lips! Here too, the question again arises: How precisely is an outstanding change achieved in production?

We are currently on the brink of massive changes in relation to the fundamental design of the production of cars as well as the relevant logistics. Accordingly, since 2014 a working group within the framework of the major project ARENA2036 has been working on new logistics concepts for modified automotive production under the direction of the Institute for Conveying Technology and Logistics (IFT) in Stuttgart. The research results were presented in October 2017 at the German Logistics Congress in Berlin and published in the BVL conference volume. A summary of the project as well as key findings are explained below by our Senior Consultant Julian Popp, who has been managing the logistics project over the last few years.

Digitalization also sees an exponential increase in data volume. There is huge potential here for many business processes. The companies are indeed aware of the benefits, some are implementing BIG DATA projects. However, a strategy is often missing. "Those who are in control of data can shape the future", states networking and digitalization expert Fabian Kehle who reveals more about this on 1 February 2018 in the technology workshop. There was already an interview on this topic in the run-up to this event.

Final countdown to 11 February: Almost everyone orders shoes, books, or electronics on the Internet. Why not your next car too?

Purchasing vehicles online, OK ... but with some personal advice please! The results of our survey provide an interesting insight into the possible future of automotive sales and validate dealer as well as customer needs.

Today, the SNAP is celebrating its premiere and will be presented to the interested world public for the first time. Appropriately, we will show how the SNAP ECO-SYSTEM works, driven by software intelligence from MHP and SAP. Have fun with the clip :)

"Mobility devices" help me organize my day. MHP, together with SAP and TomTom, has developed an ecosystem with artificial intelligence which places people in the foreground for the new "Innovation device" SNAP from Rinspeed.

In our study "The impact of digitalization on the workforce in the automobile industry", we established that there would be a dramatic risk for jobs in the automobile industry up until 2030 resulting from digitalization. We published the study at the end of July 2017 here in the blog. Meanwhile, similar results have been announced from other investigations. Stefano Esposito, our HR expert, author of the study and a partner at MHP, stated his opinion and interpreted the results in a TV interview last week.

The big day arrived in September: The SU Digital Transformation/PLM invited guests to Berlin for the MHPExecutiveCircle – the location of the event was our MHPLab, which was the perfect venue thanks to its creative and stimulating design that encourages communication! The event was titled "Aggressive Acceleration in Engineering" and our invitation followed 25 decision-makers from diverse industries, primarily from the strategic focus areas Mobility and Manufacturing.

Next week it's time again - The Morgenstadt Werkstatt at Fraunhofer IAO will begin. Already last year, the event was very inspiring, informative, creative, and somehow also very cool in a relaxed atmosphere. There were lots of impulses, talks, workshops, a makeathon and many exhibits to be experienced. The participants were a diverse mixture from the worlds of politics, city administration, business and science - and they were all also present as citizens. This resulted in good discussions on how we want to organize our Morgenstadt.

And to allow everyone to sound out in advance what awaits them and with whom they can exchange ideas, there are audio-interviews with the protagonists that can be listened to in advance.

Our Fabian Kehle will speak on the joint project LivingLaB, in brief the organization of Morgenstadt Ludwigsburg.

The article by Dr. Susanne Roeder appeared a few days ago in the IdeenwerkBW. It was written in an interview with me that took place when it was even warmer :).

"IdeenwerkBW - Main focus on IT and voice (3): Innovation manager Oliver Kelkar from the Porsche subsidiary MHP explains the growing role voice plays in networking in daily life".

Interaction with the machine is fortunately again becoming more human - with gestures, voice, ... specifically in the vehicle, but also in production, this "hands-free approach" offers more opportunities and safety.

How will people live and be mobile in a city in the future? How will we cover our energy requirements, and who will invest in a city in the future? Many questions, many answers, but usually too little action. The city of Ludwigsburg is doing things differently.

46 percent of jobs in the automotive industry are threatened by automation and digitalization through to 2030 – the activities in question will then no longer be carried out by people, but by intelligent robots and systems.

This is the key result of "Digital Transformation – The influence of digitalization on the workforce of the automotive industry", a study which we produced in collaboration with the Herman Hollerith Teaching and Research Center at the University of Reutlingen.

We are currently again carrying out a study of Industry 4.0. It will take approx. 15 minutes to fill in the questionnaire.

The fourth industrial revolution has for some years now been omnipresent in politics and business. However, where German companies actually are with regard to digitalization can only be presumed. The Industry 4.0 Barometer is aimed at changing this situation. The study was developed by MHP Management and IT Consulting and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. The questionnaire is based on the MHP Industry 4.0 assessment, which is a component of the MHP Industry 4.0 framework.

The objective is to systematically record, evaluate and precisely define in a barometer the current and future planned activities in the context of Industry 4.0 with regard to strategy, technology and IT integration.

Today, on July 14, 2017, we organized the "Open <space/>404 Innovation Day"; under the motto of COME - SEE - EXPERIENCE. <space/>404 is the MHP Makerspace at the beautiful Harteneck Castle and we presented some of the MHPInnovation Experiences which were developed there and as co-innovations with customers to the MHP staff.

Fabian Kehle and Marcus Junginger are preparing a workshop with the help of our student Kevin: Make The Customer Great Again! The workshop focuses on customer orientation and adopts a tongue-in-cheek approach. Our method Idea42 is used.

Autonomous vehicles will lead to the end of all traffic congestion! A wonderful vision, but it will still take some time before all cars are self-driving. However, could it be possible then that a small number of self-driving vehicles would be sufficient to prevent traffic congestion? Some researchers at the University of Illinois examined precisely this question and studied it in practical terms. The results are astonishing.

It seems to be the case that a small number of vehicles equipped with autonomous driving functions would already be sufficient to significantly reduce the occurrence of traffic congestion. So-called congestion waves and their occurrence are examined in this paper, which I would like to briefly present here.

The Innovation Day of our Operation Excellence Cluster was on the agenda shortly before my vacation. Off to Nuremberg (to probably the best MHP office) in the morning, and right into the middle of chaos. But to be honest, nobody at MHP could do anything about the exceptional state in Nuremberg. On the contrary, this was down to the party-goers at Rock im Park, who had turned the entire city into a party mile.

This was the question which prompted us to create the MHP Mobility Atlas 2017 - so what was our conclusion? There is a lot to do!

Megatrends such as urbanization, digitalization and sustainability are increasingly influencing our day-to-day lives. The antiquated model of the car-friendly city from the 1960s is neither in tune with the times, nor compatible with today's needs.

Our exhibits are as always classically handcrafted, only this time not in <space/>404, but directly in the project. The legendary Porsche 911 GT3 RS with its 381 horsepower and the original weighing over a ton is not only an impressive vehicle for fans and enthusiasts. This was also the reason why the development of the Lego Technic version of the 911 in our office in Ludwigsburg was an absolute highlight.

This was precisely the theme in my presentation "Human nature and system rationality with reference to transformation" at the Mobility Days. My intention was primarily to provide food for thought, I was concerned with the great promises of new technologies and their even greater shadows.

Modern easy travel is presumably somewhat different, because due to the strike by the ground staff at Berlin Airport and delays to Deutsche Bahn rail services, the timing was pretty tight. But we from MHP also managed to make it to this fantastic event on time!

There is a popular complaint on all sides about horrendous costs in the health market, caused by cost drivers, such as, inter alia, the lack of persistence and adherence. Decision-makers agree to take action, but not adopt a solution-oriented approach.

A fascinating story in the ARD media library: "Go West" and what we can learn from it.

And now let's talk about the facts. What's it all about? The story is about several German individuals who tried to set up a company in Germany with their idea, but received no venture capital. They than drifted out into the valley to try their luck there. A brief summary of some of the fascinating founders and their ideas:

Innovation is also today again a topic, but rather in the practical sense.

We have already presented our innovation workshop, our <space/>404, and that is precisely where I have been working hard in recent weekends. Not only sweat, even blood flowed - I stupidly cut myself in the finger during the work.

Why all the effort? We are making virtual reality mobile, making it come alive.

Today I again picked up the practical guideline "In 10 Schritten digital" (dated March 2016, approx. 12 pages). Nothing really new, actually, but it's still good to bring the points to mind again in compressed form.

Colleague Jan Wehinger will speak of "The redistribution of the mobility dividend." In his introduction, Jan will say that the dividend is not only a matter of money. Referring to the 3 aspects

Drive

Ownership

Autonomy

he will describe user experience scenarios, deriving ideas for action. For example, how do you charge your mobile phone in the evening? At 50%, only after 2 phone calls, after 1 hour's surfing, the next morning? Such a calculation cannot be expected of e-users - the information for distributing the generated energy efficiently and intelligently thus belongs online.

He will also ask the revolutionary question regarding road/infrastructure neutrality. Will it be socially acceptable and possible to offer fast lanes for a charge? Technically, it won't be a challenge...